THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY SOUTHERN COMPANY AND MERCEDES-BENZ

November 1, 1998

Vijay Singh

VIJAY SINGH: Yeah, it was another bad start for the day, you know. I bogeyed four of the first seven holes. But I played well. I mean, I missed some very short putts today. I'm a little disappointed because I actually hit a pretty good shot on 18 in regulation play, just went over the green. If I had to do it again, I'd probably hit the same shot. Hal played pretty good himself. He didn't make too many mistakes. That's why he's the champion.

VIJAY SINGH: Well, I mean, it's a long hole. It's a long par 3. I mean, you're hitting 3-iron, two iron. Yesterday was a little easier because the tee box was a little forward. But, sure, it's a long hole. It's a difficult hole because you're hitting 3-irons. If you hit 3-irons and 2-irons on a par 4, it's going to be a hard hole. So a long hole like that, long par 3, is always a pretty difficult hole. The green is very severe as well. I mean, if you hit it past the pin there, it's pretty hard to get up-and-down.

VIJAY SINGH: It was a tough shot. I mean, the ball sat down a little bit. I had to be aggressive, otherwise I could have left it there. I was expecting it to do what it did (laughter). It almost -- you had to almost miss it to get it close to the pin from there.

VIJAY SINGH: Well, I was trying to get it close.

VIJAY SINGH: I just stood there and tried to hit it, you know, to the middle of the green. I hit actually probably one of the best shots of the day right there. Pitched just on the top and just ran over. I thought it was pretty unlucky, you know, what it did, especially as high as I hit that 3-iron. The greens were very firm up there. There's no way to stop the ball.

VIJAY SINGH: Yeah, less green, but it wasn't as severe downhill. 18 was pretty -- you had to almost just land it a foot on the green to try not to let it go all the way down.

VIJAY SINGH: It was a little different angle. You know, I was surprised how uphill it was. I mean, it was -- I thought on regulation I hit a pretty good putt and came out six feet short. I said, "I had this putt; let's see if I can hit it a little harder." Still came up short. It was a pretty tough putt, especially coming over that tier.

VIJAY SINGH: Yes.

VIJAY SINGH: Oh, about a good 30, 35 foot, both of them. I think the first in the regulation it was a little longer.

VIJAY SINGH: Yeah, close to. I think it was 230-something. It was a little downwind. I mean, well, hardly any wind, but it was helping anything that was there.

VIJAY SINGH: Well, I missed the first fairway and made par. I think I hit every fairway after that. I missed some -- I 3-putted -- I missed the green on No. 2 where I made bogey. That was a wrong club. I tried to cut a 6-iron in there. I had a very short chance on No. 4, which I didn't convert. Then 3-putted No. 6. My putter really let me down today. I made some nice putts, but missing two birdie chances from inside four feet is not acceptable on the last day, I guess. You know, two 3-putts as well, that's in there.

VIJAY SINGH: I felt pretty comfortable. I knew what club I was going to hit. But Hal hit a hell of a shot there. It was incredible. I thought I followed in with a good one myself. The ball just didn't want to stay up the tier there. It rolled back down. I think if I stayed up there, it would have been a different story. I felt very comfortable. I mean, playoffs, it's something that you just have to be aggressive. You know it can end right there, that particular hole, so you just have to do what you have to do.

VIJAY SINGH: Hal won the playoff. Making 2 there, not too many 2's all week. Making 2 in a playoff, I think it's a hell of a shot he hit in there, and made a good downhill putt. Yeah, I'm a little disappointed. I thought if I played the first nine holes - I don't know what I played the first nine holes all week, except for the first day - I think I played every other day pretty high, the first five or six holes. I played really good today down the stretch from about 8 inwards. The first six or seven holes really got me. I don't know what those holes have against me (laughter). But I played well. If I go out there again, you know, I'd like to play like I did the last few holes coming in. I don't think I missed a shot coming in there. Drivers down the middle. Played almost as good as I did the first day. When you don't make the putts, the pins were tucked today, it's a different ballgame.

VIJAY SINGH: 2, I hit a 6-iron in the bunker, blasted out, couldn't get up-and-down. 3, putted from about 25 foot on No. 6. Missed the green -- hit a 3-wood wedge, missed the green with the wedge. It was almost impossible to get up-and-down. I hit about 20 feet, 2-putted. Then I made birdie on 9. Hit driver, 3-wood in the bunker. Blasted out about eight feet, holed that. Birdied 10, driver, 5-iron, to about five feet. Missed a very good opportunity on 12 from about four feet. Birdied 13 from about three feet. Parred in. Had a good chance on 15, but had a bad bunker shot. Bogeyed the last hole, hit 3-iron over the green. You know what happened.

VIJAY SINGH: 4. Yeah, I hit a driver, wedge, to about four feet, three and a half feet.

VIJAY SINGH: Thanks.